Love Tango

by J. M. Jeffries

  “Well done,” Emily said. “For a first dance it was passable.” She nodded and smiled at Roxanne. “Your technique was good, but your moves lacked passion.”

  I didn’t fall flat on my face, Roxanne thought.

  “I agree,” William Eddings said. “You were graceful...”

  “I was?” Roxanne blurted out.

  Nick hugged her. “You were.”

  William continued, “But like Emily said, you lacked passion. You acted distracted.”

  “I was thinking about rabbits,” Roxanne said.

  Simon Pierce looked confused. “Rabbits?”

  Nick laughed. “I was trying to keep Roxanne from panicking. She has a tendency to overthink things.”

  The three judges laughed.

  “Like another dancer I once worked with,” William said with a pointed look at Nick.

  “I love your dress,” Emily said. “Very Ginger Rogers.”

  “I was trying to channel her, but I ended up channeling rabbits,” Roxanne said with a glare at Nick.

  Emily simply nodded.

  Simon Pierce smiled at her. “You need to work on your movements. They need to be sharper and more crisp. You’re this tall, beautiful woman and I know you can dance to match your body. You have a spark. You have presence.”

  Roxanne didn’t know what to say. Nick took her hand and led her backstage to be confronted by Sophia Wills for the postdance interview.

  “How do you feel?” Sophia asked.

  “I got through the routine and I didn’t fall on my face or grievously injure my partner.”

  Nick and Sophia laughed.

  “Even though the judges felt you didn’t convey the passion of the dance, you did look beautiful.”

  “I need to thank Fay Benson, who created this dress. She’s an amazing designer.”

  Sophia looked surprised. “She did right by you. What do you have in store for next week?”

  “My goals are not to fall, not to injure Nick and remember to smile and feel some passion.”

  Sophia touched her earbud. “The judges are ready with your score.”

  They turned to the monitor. Emily held up her scorecard—a five out of ten. William gave them a six. Simon held up a four.

  “That’s respectable,” Nick said.

  “I have a lot of improving to do.”

  Nick hugged her. She kissed his cheek, overwhelmed with the feelings inside her. She was happy she’d managed to not stumble, happy it was over. She had to do better next week. If she had to put in extra hours of rehearsal, she would. She wanted to please Nick, not embarrass him.

  Nick guided her to the end of the room where the other dancers who’d already done their routines clustered in front of monitors to watch the remaining dancers.

  * * *

  Roxanne hated to take off the dress. She stood in front of the mirror in her dressing room for several minutes before removing it for jeans and a T-shirt.

  Nick waited for her in the hallway. He leaned against the wall, arms crossed over his chest.

  She was almost afraid to ask him, not sure she wanted to know the answer. “You haven’t told me yet your assessment of my dancing.”

  “You looked radiant in that dress. You kept in step with the music. You smiled. And the audience loved you.”

  “Really.” Her mother hadn’t loved her, Roxanne thought, remembering the frown.

  “You could have been the crappiest dancer of the evening, but when you started talking about rabbits everyone in the audience laughed, including your parents. You were funny and you thanked Fay for designing your costume. Nobody does that.”

  “Fay did a wonderful job.” Roxanne always gave people their due.

  “You filled out the dress in all the right places and you believed in what you were doing.”

  Heat rushed to her cheeks at the compliment. “So what’s next?”

  “You missed last night’s announcement of next week’s theme. Iconic dances.”

  “I tried to pay attention,” she admitted, “but I was so excited, my mind kept wandering.”

  “That’s okay. I listened for you.” He grinned and held out his hand.

  “You already knew.”

  Nick laughed. “Guilty. I’ll walk you to your car.”

  “What iconic dance are we doing?” she asked as he opened the door to the parking lot.

  “I’ll tell you tomorrow.”

  The parking lot was brightly lit. Other dancers lingered in the pools of light still elated by their performances. Their laughter floated across the lot.

  Roxanne almost danced her way to her car, only to halt so suddenly, Nick bumped into her. Her mother and father leaned against her Prius, obviously waiting for her.

  “That was a pretty dismal performance,” Hannah Deveraux said caustically.

  “For a first dance, she did just fine,” Nick said in defense.

  “Go away,” Roxanne said. “I don’t want to talk to you. Bye.” She pointed the remote at her car to unlock the door.

  “You’re going to talk to us.”

  “No.” Roxanne dug into her purse.

  Her father stood up. Eli smiled at her. “I think this little feud has gone on long enough. We’re here to ask for a truce.”

  “Really,” Roxanne said, eyeing her father dubiously. “By telling me my dancing was dismal.”

  “Roxanne,” her mother said impatiently.

  “No.” She found her phone.

  “Mr. and Mrs. Deveraux,” Nick said quietly, trying to be polite. It was well within his right to have them thrown off the lot, but he tried to be diplomatic for Roxanne’s sake. “I don’t think this is the time or the place for a scene.”

  Hannah’s eyes narrowed. “This is between us and our daughter.”

  “You daughter doesn’t want to talk to you.”

  “What they want,” Roxanne said, “is for me to be back under their thumb, making them a lot of money and then all will be forgiven.”

  “Roxanne,” Eli said, “you’re always so dramatic.”

  “Doesn’t mean I’m wrong.”

  Nick dug into his pocket for his phone. “If you don’t get away from the car, I will call security.”

  Eli scoffed, “Is that all you’re going to do?”

  Nick shrugged. “I don’t take out the trash.”

  Eli looked shocked, his overinflated ego clearly bruised. “This isn’t over.” He stepped away from the car and motioned to Hannah to do the same.

  “I can make it over,” Nick replied.

  Eli grabbed Hannah’s hand and they walked off.

  “Are you okay?” Nick asked when her parents disappeared to the other side of the parking lot.

  “I’ve been dealing with this for years. They’re just more desperate than usual.” She frowned.

  “What are you going to do?”

  “If I were really in danger, I’d hire security. But I don’t think they have the guts to really push this.” Roxanne watched from a distance as her parents backed their Escalade out of its parking spot and roared out of the lot.

  Nick pulled her into his arms and kissed her gently. She smiled at him as she climbed into her car. “I’ll see you tomorrow.”

  He grinned. “Bright and early.”

  She backed out of the parking spot and slowly drove away.

  * * *

  Portia waited for Roxanne. She puttered about the kitchen with their grandmother. Donna stood at the stove cooking bacon and Portia bent over the counter dipping two slices of bread stuffed with cream cheese into an egg mixture. From the scent, they were making stuffed French toast with bacon. Yum. Roxanne’s favorite comfort food.

  “We figured you’d be hungry when you got
home,” Donna Deveraux said after Roxanne dropped her purse on the sofa and found herself gliding into the kitchen.

  “I wish you could have been there,” Roxanne said to her sister.

  “No, thank you. Then I would have had to sit by our parents. And the fact that I still live with them is enough for me,” Portia said. “I watched the show with Grandma. You were gorgeous and not one wrong move. I don’t care what the judges said, you were great.”

  Donna nodded in agreement as she set the bread lathered in egg mixture into the frying pan. The bread sizzled. “I was so proud of you.”

  “Mom told me I was dismal,” Roxanne said.

  “What does your mother know? She has the grace of a sloth,” Donna said, flipping the bread and letting her bitterness at her daughter-in-law show. A bit of cream cheese dribbled out from between the layers.

  Roxanne’s mouth watered. She was ready to gobble up every heavenly morsel.

  “When did Mom tell you this?” Portia asked.

  “In the parking lot as I was trying to escape.” Roxanne sat down at the kitchen table ready to pounce on the stuffed French toast the moment Donna set the first one down.

  Portia pushed the plate of bacon toward Roxanne.

  “They were waiting for you?” Portia asked, frowning.

  “I hope skulking in parking lots doesn’t become a habit with them.” Roxanne grabbed two pieces of bacon and munched on them while waiting for her grandmother to finish cooking. “I’m trying to keep my Daddy and Mama drama away from Celebrity Dance. I don’t want to draw attention to it by asking that they be banned from the studio lot.”

  “How do you feel?” Donna asked, tactfully changing the subject. “Notwithstanding Hannah’s comment. How do you feel about your performance?” She placed a plate of French toast on the table.

  Roxanne tried to resist spearing it, but Portia slid the plate toward her. Roxanne pushed the bread onto her plate and reached for the maple syrup. “I felt alive.” She cut into the toast and cream cheese oozed out, mixing with the syrup. The food was heaven in her mouth. She closed her eyes and let the smooth flavors romance her tongue. The same tongue she’d shared with Nick less than an hour ago. A thrill of desire radiated through her. She almost wished she’d brought him home with her, but she’d needed down time more.

  “The camera has always been your friend even when you’re pretending to be dead,” Portia said.

  Donna set more French toast on the table. Portia sat and grabbed her own, liberally buttering it and pouring syrup over the crusty brown slices. She looked up and saw Roxanne staring at her with raised eyebrows.

  “What?” Porta said crisply. “I worked out for three hours today. I’ve earned the carbs.”

  Roxanne hid her smile. “When I walked away from the business, I didn’t think I’d miss it,” she admitted. “I still had my bit parts to fulfill the occasional acting itch, but being in the spotlight...”

  She hadn’t walked away from a career as much as she’d walked away from her future. She’d realized she’d never have a future while her parents controlled it. And now she was back in control and looking forward to a future again, a future of her own making.

  “You were able to walk away because you had balance in your life,” Donna said.

  “I had balance in my life because of you,” Roxanne said.

  Donna simply smiled.

  “How did Dad end up being so different from you?” Roxanne asked, unable to believe this woman was her father’s mother. She was so different, so down to earth.

  Donna paused with her fork halfway to her mouth while she gave Roxanne a long look. “The biggest mistake I ever made was letting my ex-husband take your father away from me. I thought Eli would be better off with his father. He always had money. I thought he’d be a better parent. Besides, I had no skills and no job prospects. And his lawyer was sleazier than mine. Little did I know my ex was a con artist when I thought he was a respectable businessman—a financial advisor who helped widows plan for their future. Instead he was stealing their money.”

  Roxanne only nodded. Her father had learned his own father’s lessons well. He’d stolen from her and she would never forgive him. And her mother had made no objection, made no effort to protect Roxanne.

  They finished eating. Roxanne cleared the table, putting the dishes in the dishwasher while Portia cleaned the stove. Their grandmother wiped down the sticky table.

  Portia opened a bottle of wine and sat next to Roxanne in front of the fire, glasses in their hands. Donna had gone to bed citing that it was way past her bedtime, though Roxanne knew her grandmother could outlast them anytime she wanted.

  “You looked pretty cozy with Nick.” Portia adjusted the gas fire until it was just embers.

  “We’re supposed to look cozy. That’s the whole point of the waltz.” Heat flamed across Roxanne’s cheeks as she remembered the kiss in the parking lot after her parents’ departure.

  “Something happened, didn’t it?” Portia studied her sister, eyes narrowed with suspicion.

  She should have known she couldn’t keep a secret from her sister. She was Donna Junior and could almost smell intrigue. But was Roxanne comfortable talking about Nick? Even to Portia? She liked him a lot and he made her feel safe. She never really trusted herself to have more than a surface relationship with a man. Most of the time, they liked her for what she was, not who she was. Nick seemed to be just the opposite—and he certainly didn’t need her for her fame—but still that trust was hard to come by. Yet she seemed unable to stop herself from liking him. Maybe because they were partners. Partners who had to touch each other a lot. “You always did have an eagle eye.”

  “So give it up,” Portia pressed.

  “He kissed me.” Roxanne half closed her eyes. The feel of his lips on hers had sent feelings through her she wasn’t certain she wanted to examine. Her heart started to race and even her palms got sweaty. She was like a teenaged girl in the throes of her first crush. She felt stupid as well as giddy. Not a good combination as far as she was concerned.

  “Your first kiss with Nick,” Portia said, her tone awed.

  “Actually, it’s the second kiss.”

  Portia smacked her on the arm. “And you didn’t tell me! Shame on you. You broke the sister code.”

  Roxanne laughed. “Only because I knew you’d hit me.”

  “Do you think getting involved with your partner is a good thing?”

  “I’m not involved with Nick. We shared two kisses. Sometimes a kiss is just a kiss. No strings attached. And that’s just how I’m thinking about it. Don’t want to talk about it anymore.”

  Portia eyed her sister, a dubious expression on her face. “I want to talk about this kiss.”

  Roxanne waved her hands in front of her. “I don’t have the words.”

  “How can you not have the words when a man who looks that fine kisses you?”

  “Because he is that fine.” Roxanne’s words ended on a sigh.

  “You sound like you don’t think an attractive man would find you appealing.”

  Roxanne shook her head. “It’s not that. It’s...” Her voice trailed away while she searched for the words. “I’m juggling a lot of things. I don’t think I can handle the romance ball. Between the two of us, we’ve dated our share of people in the business. Being involved with him is not a good bet.”

  “Are you already planning the great love affair?”

  “No, I’m planning my next dance.” Roxanne finished her wine. “I’m going to bed.” In the face of Portia’s onslaught her best tactic was to retreat. There was a lock on her bedroom door and she wasn’t afraid to use it.

  “Yeah, I guess it’s time for me to head home.” Portia pushed herself to her feet.

  “No. It’s nearly midnight. You’ve already had two glasses of
wine, you’re staying here. I’ll hide your keys if I have to.”

  Portia grinned. “You don’t have to talk me into staying. Just make sure I’m up at six. I have a photo shoot in the Valley.”

  “For who?”

  “Him Magazine.”

  “Does that mean you’re going to be doing stupid poses in revealing lingerie?”

  “Yeah, but they’re paying me a lot of money to do it.”

  “How much?” Roxanne asked curiously. No one had ever asked her to pose for lingerie. Not that she would, but, hey, it would be nice to be asked.

  Portia held up three fingers. “Enough for three semesters of vet school.”

  “I told you I’d pay for your schooling.”

  Portia kissed Roxanne on the cheek. “If I take money from you, I’ll just be like our parents. As much as I appreciate the offer, the answer is still no.” Portia yawned. “Besides you’re my role model. You’ve paid for everything you have. I intend to do the same.” She stood and stretched, yawning again.

  “It’s not like I’m investing in yak farming. This is an investment in you. In your future.”

  “You know I love animals. I might want to buy a yak farm.”

  Roxanne laughed. “Now you want to save yaks!”

  “Good night, sister dear.” She headed for the guest room. “The yak savior is taking her dreams of salvation to bed.”

  Roxanne turned off the gas fire, collected the two wineglasses and put the half-empty bottle of wine back in the wine cooler. As she turned off the lights, she thought about Nick’s kiss and the way he made her feel. She couldn’t tell Portia about the way his arms around her left her feeling.

  She just needed to get through this season of Celebrity Dance and then she could go back to her relatively peaceful life.

  Chapter 6

  Nick stood in front of the flat-screen TV hanging on the kitchen wall reviewing Roxanne’s dance routine. His brother Sebastian sat at the kitchen able, decks of cards spread out in front of him.

  “What do you think of my new card trick?” Sebastian asked.

  Nick hadn’t been paying attention, but didn’t want to let his older brother know that. “It’s great.”